Vladimir Putin has made 2016 the Year of Cinema in Russia, which makes this year’s Russian Resurrection Film Festival particularly special.

In its 13^th year, the Russian Resurrection Film Festival screened 20 films this year, which included classics, plus the latest family films, mainstream and arthouse fare being produced in Russia.

This year, the festival’s founding Director, Nicholas Maksymow enlisted the help of the Film Critics Circle of Australia [FCCA] to also choose a Critics Prize for the best new film screening at the festival.

FilmInk’s own Dov Kornits, who is also president of the FCCA headed up the Critics Jury, which also included Adrienne McKibbons and Simon Weaving.

Dov was there last night at the closing of the Sydney leg of the festival to announce the winner. Firstly, he mentioned two films that had impressed the jury, Nikolai Homeriki’s epic based-on-real events adventure, Icebreaker, which also saw its lead actor Sergei Puskepalis visit Australia to promote the film; and Oksana Karas’ charming The Good Boy, which explored the clash between the internet-savvy and carefree youth of modern Russia and their struggling parents’ generation. Both films have barely been released in Russia, so it was particularly special to have them screen at the fest on the other side of the world.

Cannes prize winner, Kirill Serebrennikov’s The Student closed the festival last night and it was also highly commended by the Critics Jury for its highly pointed subject matter, which follows a high school student who takes the bible in a literal way as his guiding principle, which creates all sorts of chaos in the classroom and at home. The film was gloriously photographed in long takes, which allowed the compelling performers to shine.

Finally, the Critics Prize was awarded to Alexey Mizgirev period piece, The Duelist. The violent saga of a former nobleman who has become a killing machine on his way to revenge and retribution was gloriously photographed and cast, with Oscar-worthy production design, which recreated the mid-19^th century beauty and grime of Saint Petersburg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQZQg4KT-YY

We were also privy to the excitement from the organisers that one of the biggest international Russian actors, Danila Kozlovsky (Vampire Academy, Hardcore Henry) was going to be joining the festival in Melbourne in support of his starring role in the tense disaster film, Flight Crew.

The 2016 Russian Resurrection Film Festival is on in Brisbane until November 9, and plays in Perth and Melbourne from November 10 – 16. For more information on the festival, head to its website.